Goodness I had so much fun reading
emails this week. Bishop Knight, reading yours I literally started
having a panic attack! What is going on!? Three weeks left!
Good night nurse. It really is like running a race and suddenly you hit the
last 200 meters and people start cheering from every direction, ¨Sprint!
SPRINT!! GO! GO!! You´re almost there! YOU GOT THIS!¨ Gosh, what it´s
that close! Flip! Let´s go then!! Guys I´m sprintin okay! Let´s win
this thing! I told Bishop, sprinting is my favorite part.
This past week was a wild one.
Goodness. Let´s see... where to begin. Well we got quite the down pore for a
good four days. Lots of mud and it was just THE greatest thing bein soppin wet
yet workin. Everyone wanted to let us in. That´s the thing I love about
Horqueta. We got wet again that night with a fun water balloon game with
the branch.
My favorite lesson of the week we had
just after consejo de rama Tuesday night. The spirit led it all. We were
teaching Hermana Sofia. We helped her see all the progression she has made and
how far she has come. We not only put a date for the 18 of October but in
the end she said the kneeling prayer. It was beautiful, and she pleaded with
the Lord to show and help her understand that these things are true. We
embraced after the prayer and she looked us in the eyes almost on the verge of
tears and said, ¨Owen, Border, I am doing this because I KNOW (che aikua´a...)
it is a commandment of God, I want an eternal family, I know this is what will
bless us forever and already has... thank you, thank you.¨ Goodness I almost
went right down to bawlin. Lives change every day. Also Hermano Frutos
invited us over Sunday to eat. He expressed to us how much he desires to come
back. He reading the Book of Mormon without fail everyday. He just feels
guilty or shameful returning. Pray for him. He is awesome.
Oh we also found a GOLDEN
investigator... Danaide Barrios. She is darling and has such curiosity and
burning desire to know what we share. Apparently a few weeks ago when we
had divisions with Hermana Amado and Sanchez, Hermana Border and Amado met her,
invited her Sunday to church, and said we´d return Sunday at 5 to share.
Well just so happens that Sunday she got ready to go and come to church and
upon leaving they received the shocking sad news that her uncle had just past
away. She didn´t come. BUT we past by this week and she told us
everything that happen and we were able to talk about the plan. She said,
¨I knew it! I knew it didn´t stop there! I kept telling myself that.¨
She is awesome. Yesterday we shared with her dad and mom. Little by
little I think we´ll see great progress with this family.
Just to end with a picture of our
little picture perfect life here in the little town of Horqueta: Cropped in a tiny turquoise house, with
a banana and guava tree out front. Sawing and nailing wood all day at
President´s carpentry next door. Roosters howl at 11 pm every night and 4
am every morning. Red dirt follows us everywhere. Gekos splat on
the windows at night and we watch them catch moths, in amazement. There´s
heavy rain, lots of humidity, lots of green, and a big sun. Motors and
horses pass us on our way. Watermelons are beginning to flood the
streets, fruit stands, and home grown herbs are sold on every corner.
There is quite a bit of wind, and it is so clean here. The purple tyjy
flowers are blossoming and falling everywhere. It´s a tranquilo lugar.
Our little heaven.
This morning I was reading about
Charity and I loved the quote I had written down in my Preach My Gospel next to
the attribute in chapter 6. ¨They don´t care how much you know, until
they know how much care.¨ We have been striving to strengthen the love
and relationships in the families here, lot´s of reading about eternal
marriage, families, and charity. It put a lot of things into perspective
and really help me realize overall what I desire one day in my family.
Remember to love and try showing love this week to those you love and those you
don´t through the small things. I love Moroni´s plea with us... ¨pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart,
that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are
true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons
of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him.¨
(moroni 7:48)
May others come to Him through us, and
as we strive to attain this attribute I truly believe WE come to know Him.
Love you all so much.
Con Cariño,
Hermana Owen
